Hendrik Hertzberg writes: "After Weiner's press conference, there was near-unanimous agreement among the cable talkers that his political career is finished. One of them predicted that Weiner will not be a Member of Congress two weeks from now. I doubt that. I found his conduct at the press conference quite impressive, given the circumstances. He seemed genuinely ashamed, genuinely sorry. But he also showed some steel, some determination, some discipline, some dignity."

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To be honest, I don't care in the least about ANYONE'S sexual peccadilloes. This situation should be entirely between him and his spouse. We have far too many truly important political issues on the table right now to be distracted by something like this.

Strongly disagree with Portiz. Part of the meaning of 'public office' is the public's trust that the holder of that office will not betray the public. Betrayal come in many forms: one that should be obvious to all is Weiner's recent "sexual peccadilloes." Why is that a betrayal of the public trust? For the very reason that such actions distract from the "truly important political issues on the the table right now."

Pickwicky: The meaning of public office is of no import anymore. Almost all of our elected officials "the public trust" and/or do nothing to help us in any way or make our lives better or protect us...what almost all of them do is line their pockets and cast their votes to aid big business. If the public trusts its reps., it's sadly delusional. Sex scandals are the least of our worries. Spending bazillions on wars, bombs, fighter jets, and destroyers is a much worse problem. Some congressperson's affairs and/or photos of their sexual equipment is sadly lame but gets mountains of press.

Oakjoan: Your cynicism is sad; however, the fact that our country has greater problems does not obviate the necessity for private morality. What Weiner has done hurts everyone; it gobbles up our time; it's sleazy behavior that begets sleazy behavior--it weakens our moral fabric. Moreover, I think private morality is nearly always solidly entwined with public morality.

If Republican Senators Larry Craig, the closeted homosexual, arrested for seeking sex in an airport bathroom, convicted of lewd conduct and David Vitter, the diaper wearing, baby bottle sucking, solicitor of prostitutes can keep their seats in the Senate, regardless that they were "family values" conservatives and who both publicly denied the charges made against them before admitting the truth, it is laughable to have Republicans now demanding that Anthony Weiner resign from the Congress.

There is more going on everyday in DC than the governing of our great country. The much more interesting question is why the sex stories outweigh the actual governing scandals such as George W. Bush parsing those "16 little words" during his 2003 State of Union speech that misled the public & both houses of congress into supporting an illegal, preemptive war against Iraq, that later also included torture scandals and human rights violations which have gone unpunished in any way and never rose to the level of coverage that we seem to see for Democrat sex scandals. Andrew Breitbart is a politically motivated Republican operative who only seeks or creates scandals that damage or destroy liberal targets.

I have great respect for Mr. Hertzberg and the efforts of Mr. Weiner to promote a Progressive agenda, but his opinion is not based on logic. This is not Clinton revisited. The information provided by the internet is far different than many of the unconfirmed allegations made against Clinton. There were no photos, phone messages and 24 hour media. We should expect the best in terms of honesty and integrity from our representatives on both sides of the aisle. To condone dishonesty is not what makes our system of government the best in the world. Weiner has done more in one week to harm the Democratic agenda than thought possible by one person. It was not his private life that is of concern, it his lies and deceptions to those who placed trust in him. His family, his constituents and the press among others. Clinton did not walk away without punishment. Whether we agree or not, he was impeached by Congress and it will forever stain his Presidency. Again, it was not the sex but the lies afterward. We should never accept anything but the highest standards from all of our public officials. And if Romney and other Republicans should win in the next election, it will be due in part to the Weiner scandal. These lies set up our representatives for blackmail and that is not healthy for government.

chick, "It's up to Weiner's wife." Yes, we shall again be "treated" to the spectacle of the "good wife syndrome" whereupon the dutiful and "understanding" wife stands by her "man." My sincerest sympathies extend to the Congressman's wife. As for Mr.Weiner, I would like to thank you for being an unwavering advocate for progressive ideals. And then shake the living shit out of your skinny little, pipe stemmed armed body, for providing the "enemy" another fully loaded clip of ammo with which to riddle the bodies of both priorities and sanity.

Unconfirmed?? logs of the young unpaid intern coming and going, presents, cigars, and of course, the president -- after much lying, and lying under oath, confessing to it.

Yep = that confessing to it sort of nails it down.

Of course him settling for some $90.000 in a different matter - or was it a fine? Getting disbarred, and banned from arguing in front of the Untied States Supreme Court, was a stickler, as well.

The other 19 women that the Clinton White House got signed statements from to keep them from blabbing about him doesn't help either does it.

But for me, those were never my issues with him - for we had James Raidy, Charlie Trie, George Chung, the Lu's, the scandals w/ Ron Brown (those would have got him); him turning his back on HIv/Aids in Africa - how many millions died?); turning his back on Blood Diamonds - in fact fueling it; turning his back on the DR Congo (more died than in any single conflict since WW II); on Sierra Leone, on Liberia, on Algiers, on the Ivory Coast, on Afghanistan (when the Taliben took control - horrific); on Iraq - 1/2 million children died; and of course, leaving the financial crash behind when he left and the massive future deficits, and for giving birth to the housing bubble = after his Enron era of greed and fraud. What a dude!!

RF123 - Your second paragraph makes no sense. He CONFESSED -- he hid something embarrassing (wouldn't anyone) and what he did is not going to take our education down, screw old people, give big corp $$ and perks -- and Sex is not illegal (yet)-- although with the abortion laws forming states with R governors -- it may be soon.

Weiner has fought for "we" the people at every turn --

I think the men in the media who are talking about LYING about one's sex life getting exposed are nuts and sound just like the nutty Republicans and their pleading to the Religious right (against abortion but for vouchers for everyone except the rich)-- and etc.

Why is blackmail not THE issue in this case? Since when is it OK to take private emails and contents from them and make them PUBLIC or use the THREAT of doing so to force a politician to resign?

I agree that this sort of thing is very stupid and it's baffling to see people like Weiner and Clinton get trapped into it. But make no mistake; This looks like a trap. It also looks like despicable and possibly illegal behavior on the part of Breitbart to me.

Just curious, RF123, WHY are Democratic sex scandals more costly or inappropriate than that of ReTHUGlicans? I don't care about ANY Politician's sex life unless it involves children or animals! I'm not too thrilled about the lies, even tho' they were about personal not government content and I do give Mr. Weiner credit for trying to protect his family. He finally realized his error and admitted his lie, something the THUGS almost NEVER do! Jimmy Carter got Pilloried for "Lusting in his heart" but it seems to me that the THUGS who go ALL out with THEIR sexual adulteries and other misbehaviors NEVER suffer and serious after effects and rarely, if ever, confess. They remain "Teflon" coated. Nothing EVER sticks to THEM. At least Mr. Weiner can TRUTHFULLY say "I did NOT have sex with those women". One more thing...I don't think it's a ReTHUGlican or Democratic aberration to get caught up in these kinds of "sex" scandals. I think it's a "MAN" thing. Who knows?

angelfish, As we both know,sadly, America eats this type of thing up. Conservatives will soon be goosestepping down our streets but the rank and file American voter (and non-voter)would rather titillate themselves with this type of nonsense than the destruction of the foundations of their country. Weiner clearly knows this. The Republican party has mutated into the scum that now covers vast swaths of America. Weiner's staunch and unflinching defense of Progressive principals were one of our prime weapons in eradicating at least some portion of that scum. Now we learn he is bit "principle compromised" himself, at least in the area of "sound judgment." As for the "MAN" thing...some Men NEVER grow up. They stay BOYS forever, at least in terms of sexual fantasies, killing games and monetary gratification. It's the BOYS that continually get this world into trouble.

You're right again, Dave. The THUGs are ever more intrusive into everyone's private lives. Women's lives especially. They now want to prevent, not only Abortion but, Birth Control as well! Talk about Fascists?! I just find it sad that a voice that was so strong for for Progressive issues may be silenced and destroyed over such a "High School Harry" behavior. So sad.

The continuing moral outrage in these comments misses and at the same time confirms Hertzberg's point. Americans cannot think rationally about sexual scandal involving public figures. Hertzberg is simply describing the event, not judging it, and his precision of analysis is unusual.

Give me a break! They are politicians and by definition liars! It is fine to lie about torture and what gets us into war but not about sexual BS? Don't we have anything more important to take care of in this country than Weiner's d!ck? How about a bought and paid for supreme court, 3 wars, a congress ready to gut hard won social safety nets that have already been reduced to the ridiculous and that is just for a start!

While I agree that this could be politically harmful, as a progressive, I admire Mr. Weiner's positions on the important issues and consider that far more important than his sex life. He lied but unlike other politicians, especially on the right, Weiner did not continue to lie or deny for weeks or months or years. The irony here is that our society holds pols to a very high standard when it comes to sex- much higher than we hold for ourselves, and much higher than non-sexual political matters. Bush lied about Iraq and as a result, hundreds of thousands of innocents died and a country was destroyed. Yet he was never asked to resign by the MSM and he has not come clean to this day. Yes, it would be nice if pols acted with honesty and integrity all the time but when you look at the actions of the GOP concerning issues that really affect all of us, especially the poor, you see rampant dishonesty and and immorality that far outstrips "Weinergate" in the harm caused to society.

"These lies set up our representatives for blackmail and that is not healthy for government." Within blackmail is the potential compromise of national security, other important issues, and pollution of the deliberative process.

The power of this force might take any form, such as the allegedly authentic e-mail to Rep. Weiner "U owe me big time" [whatever that means--for defending him to the press], the alleged payments by Senator Ensign's parents, and the alleged $1,000,000+ payments to Senator Edwards' acquaintance.

Blackmail power might include: "I know we agreed. I've changed my mind. I want more.". A husband's private lies to the wife may be "private" (apart from any impact on the children). Though public lies may include attempt to deceive or reconcile, the are intended to deceive the public and MAINTAIN power. If/when exposed, they undermine public confidence in the individual and representative government. Public confidence is the glue of democracy.We should be able to explain the conduct of public officials to our children--here, how?

Public confidence, when betrayed, is difficult to restore. Humpty Dumpty faced the same problem.

Clinton did lie about his relationship with Lewinsky as any unfaithful usually does but his denial was also made to the public which does take it to a different level. If you followed what was happening during the Clinton years when any situation was blown up to scandal, this event seemed to be an engineered plan by conservative attorneys affiliated with the Federalist Society. There seemed to coordination between the Paula Jones & Monica Lewinsky/Linda Tripp cases. The Jones attorneys “learned” of the Lewinsky information and had given Clinton a list of sexual acts that comprised "sexual relations" to which his attorney said at the time that this “feels like a trap” but when the particular act performed between Monica and himself was NOT noted on the list, Clinton entered the open door and decided to answer anyway. He later publicly denied having "sexual relations" with “that woman” during the now famous press conference and had now walked into the trap set for him.

During Clinton's later "live on TV" interrogation he was asked if there "is" a relationship between him & Lewinsky which he denied. This was blown up to scandal because of an inarticulate question by his conservative questioner. "Is" there an ongoing relationship or "was" there ever a relationship between the two. Clinton definitely parsed words on this as any trained attorney and/or unfaithful spouse might. He did indeed mislead both the public and the courts but technically did not lie about it. Very similar to Bush43 and his “16 little words” during the 2003 State of the Union” speech that misled us into an illegal, preemptive war against Iraq without actually lying. It is a neat trick and does not happen by accident often.

If as you say that we should never accept anything but the highest standards from all of our public officials then we need to clear the slate of all those Republicans and Blue Dogs who supported Ryan's plan. It was totally a big lie sung in unison by the Republican party ! They all knew that Ryan's plan would be the end of Medicare ! As far as morals go where are the Republican's morals when it comes to tax breaks for the very rich while making the elderly ,disabled and poor suffer with deeps cuts to their programs? Please lets not talk morals ! What Weiner did was poor judgement on his part but it is a private issue between him and his wife just as Clintons was !

• Clearly Anthony Weiner is a terrible liar and not very experienced at how to handle "hiding" something.

Truth is --- this matter is between his spouse and him and why the people consider this SEX is beyond comprehension - it was virtual as is so many things in 2011! And it's not against the law.

Weiner is one of the few in our government who has devoted his position in the House to stand up for the rights of the people -- There are a few others such as Bernie Sanders who also stand up to the LIES told by Republicans and the harm the GOP intends for this country

What is hurting the dems is not standing up for Weiner. The press (even MSNBC) is blowing this matter up -- Ryan lied to the American people and COngress about his voucher for Medicare program -- that is an outrage. There's more that we should be outraged about.

This is gang mentality to go after Weiner when the crimes in our government are way worse -- no oversight on the banks, OIL and all the big ones who are going to do more harm (as if their acts aren't bad enough today)

He didn't cheat on his TAXES (like Clarence Thomas and others) and he didn't get bought off by the Koch brothers (like Scalia and Walker and others) --

What would impress me would be to see a showing of Democratic office holders standing up and saying, "so what?"

I STRONGLY believe in taking down any right-wing holier than thou teapublican who commits this sin, because it shows their hypocricy. Blatant hypocricy is a far greater sin and danger to our country than human weakness.

It's a simple rule. If the politician is one who built his reputation by courting religious nuts and claims that morality is a key issue, then what he does in his own private life is of great public concern.

IF on the other hand, the politician is one who believes in doing his job and not preaching morality to the rest of us, then what he does in his private life should be kept private.

billy bob, "Blatant hypocrisy is a far greater sin and danger to our country than human weakness." I agree with your analogy but...Weiner, one of the strongest and influential young voices in the Democratic party did LIE. Progressive policies and those who advocate them are under constant and withering attack. Weiner HAD to know that if his actions became public the right -wing smear machine would go into high gear. "Lying" is a fine art to most politicians who go to law school so that they can use "doublespeak" in a manner that flies right over the head of the average citizen. It's Weiner's "judgment" that concerns me. At this juncture in our political arena it was incredibly "bad" judgment on his part to engage in "anything" that might be twisted into something that could be used against the left. I agree, in part, that what people do in their private lives, unless their are directly committing a crime, should be kept private. But we live in a different world than we did 30 or more years ago. Celebrities and Politicians are not "people" like the rest of us. EVERYTHING they do is under 24/7 scrutiny by hordes of "get a life" peeping f*****g toms who have nothing better to do than to dig up whatever dirt they can whenever and wherever possible. Nobody holds a gun to your head and demands you become a politician or celebrity. cont.

Once you make that decision, and if you're successful you are immediately placed in the spotlight. While under that light you MUST realize that ANY lapse in judgment may be used against you, and in the case of politics, the movement or party you represent. In short, Weiner has provided "ammunition" to those in America that when speaking of politicians generally say "they're all the same." MSNBC has crucified every Republican "player" who has been exposed. The right,particularly Fox, Limbaugh and the rest of the bloviators will now have a field day at Weiner's and inevitably the Democratic party's expense. The hypocrisy of the right and their indescretions won't even furrow the brow of half the knuckle draggers who constitute our voting electorate. Although I KNOW Gore actually won the 2000 election, there's no doubt Clinton's "Monicafest" cost Gore votes. Weiner was playing a game I would expect out of a high school kid not a Congressman. Yes,many Republicans have played similar or worse games. But the way I was raised two wrongs still don't make it right. Judgment...our country is hanging on the precipice of Fascism and one of our leading voices against such a travesty decides its time to engage in a little electronic sexual gratification. Pretty bad timing.

I'm going to play the repuglican "let the guy have his privacy" card here. Until ALL politicians take a public oath to never lie about ANYTHING in their public OR private lives (i.e. to be super human), and until they ALL stick with that promise and accept serious consequences, I am unwilling to just sit back and let right-wing politicians arbitrarily pick and choose when that imaginary oath should be upheld.

Is arnie "THE SPERMINATOR" schwartzenneger going to return all of the money he earned while in office as a governor while doing his maid? I don't think so. He waited until he was out of office anyway to come clean. Is newt gingrich going to drop out of the presidential race now, because he isn't up to the standards being applied to weiner-man? NOPE.

I am not a big fan of always being a member of a party willing to UNILATERALLY capitulate every time there's a fight. If I were in Congress, I'd GLADLY increase my own approval rating by standing up and saying, "I don't care what he did unless it was illegal. Can we get to work now?"

CONT. (because RSN claims the whole comment is too long even though I have characters left)

billy bob, From previous posts I know you're a father. If one of your children misbehaves in a manner you disapprove of I assume you mete out some form of punishment. It might be something as simple as "don't do that again" to something more severe. If the man across the street from you also has children, but unlike you, holds his children to a different set of rules or behavior who is right. Let's say your kid deliberately knocks another kid off his bike...just for the hell of it. You witness this and punish your child as you see fit. The guy across the street watches as his kid performs the exact same act. This man is a bully and finds the actions of his kid somewhat funny. No punishment. Problem is: BOTH kids were wrong for knocking the kid off the bike. If we're going to defend Weiner then we might as well defend the vast majority of political figures involved in scandals they later LIE about. If that becomes the norm then political figures and celebrities in general WON'T have to lie anymore. They're behavior is now deemed acceptable. Weiner engaged in a childish, sexually motivated act. Like a child who abuses animals this type of "innocent behavior" sometimes leads to advanced abhorrent actions. Would you be comfortable with Weiner dating YOUR daughter now that you know what you know about him? If we lower OUR standards to meet those of the Republicans how are we better?

I usually agree with your points but not here:All the reps are "the" children of the same parent.

Lying to the Press is not illegal. It is not the same as "knocking a kid off bike" -- if Pelosi (for example) is to go after Weiner for "lying" she has to go after all the bad kids --- such Paul Ryan who stands up in Congress over and over lying about his voucher bill.

giraffe2012, "if Pelosi(for example)is to go after Weiner for "lying" she has to go after all the bad kids." Absolutely! If Ryan (who is indeed lying) is exposed as doing so then he should be called out on it. "Lying to the Press" is not illegal you posit. I wouldn't exactly call it reputable behavior. "Lying" to your wife,husband,son,daughter,friend,teacher,neighbor,etc is "generally" not considered "illegal" either. But lies, like water, often find a way to leak on your parade. Republicans lie every day and we condemn them for it here on RSN. A Democrat gets caught in a lie and most of the posts attempt to "defend" him. If all the reps are "children of the same parent" perhaps its time to make "all" of them wards of the court. Most parents, at least the good ones, teach their children "not to lie." You and others on this thread seem to be saying "its O.K." under certain circumstances. I usually agree with your points too. Can't oblige this time. Weiner "should" have just admitted he liked playing cyber sex. Nothing illegal about it. Story would have ended for me at that point. The "lie" created the scandal...not the act.

billy bob, "If someone's doing C.P.R. on me, I don't care how many women he's cheated on." True enough. But you MIGHT care if you knew he had FALSIFIED his C.P.R. credentials. Weiner has been one of the shining lights for Progressives. But I GUARANTEE you many voters will remember his scandal, not his often brilliant and passionate soliloquies. As for Washington and Jefferson they WERE politicians. Wives are merely for the portfolio.

His credentials are not moral. His credentials have to do with his qualifications to actually do the job. No body in public office is free of sin. These are jobs that need to be filled and Jesus isn't an applicant.

You're right about me punishing my children. A Weiner is not one of my children, but my children are under a direct threat from the very people who want to take him down.

It is getting to the point that politically appointed jobs are going unfilled in DC because no one qualified to do them is willing to watch their lives destroyed.

That's DANGEROUS. The more we punish innapropriate sex and let absolute corruption slide, the more we ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE the kinds of politicians who really don't care what anyone thinks of them. Is that what we want?

Gingrich has personally been involved in more than one sex scandal. He could not care less what you think of him for this.

He has his agenda and everything else can go to hell. We've created a political environment that makes it so the only people qualified to hold public office are those SO UNBELIEVABLY corrupt that they CAN'T be embarrassed. The more we punish politicians who still have a conscience, the more we weed them out and leave more room for people like Gingrich and the other repugs being mentioned in this thread who are more thick skinned.

billy bob, "Nobody in public office is free of sin." That would depend on your definition of "sin" and your own personal religious convictions. If I'm not mistaken about ten years of the life of Jesus is unaccountable. He "may" have "sinned" plenty. As you know from our conversations and posts I stand shoulder to shoulder with you on the need to combat "absolute corruption." I also don't know your definition of "inappropriate sex" although I assume there are cases you would find so. I'm totally at odds with you on "we've created a political environment that makes it so the only people qualified to hold public office are those SO UNBELIEVABLY corrupt that they CAN'T be embarrassed. I propose it's just the opposite. We've a political environment that demands that politicians, at least in the beginning of their careers, are "unbelievably chaste." We're the "porn capital" of the world and Sin City is one of America's favorite vacation destinations with entreaties to "bring the kiddies" but we shake our heads in disgust when a public figure gets caught with his/her pants down.I could care less about Weiner's fantasy cyber sex world.If he would have come out and said "yeah, that was me, so what? in the beginning "the scandal" would never have materialized except at the "hypocrisy resistant" headquarters of right-wing attackers. He pulled a "boner" in lying about it. Gingrich doesn't.

billy bob, "The more we punish politicians who still have a conscience"...Discretion is the better part of valor. Weiner's "conscience", given the stakes and current circumstances, should have told him that. Again, I DON'T care that the Congressman gets himself off by playing "legal" sex games although many in the country, including Liberals/Progressives are concerned with teenagers and their "sexting" habits. I'm concerned that because of his "poor judgment" we may lose one of the best voices we've had in years in the Congress and that the eternally scheming right-wing/Fascist bastards we're up against will maximize this into their own political gain. Why ANY public figure is still dumb enough to think that e-mails, Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites are free from scrutiny is beyond me. The sharks are ALWAYS circling. Take care Billy.

Most of the people involved in the impeachment hearings who were engaged in the same activities DID WALK AWAY WITHOUT PUNISHMENT. There's a double-standard at work here and if you can't see it, you're blind.

If repugs win more power in 2012 it won't be because of moral superiority. It WILL be due to CAMPAIGN FINANCE superiority.

As Rachel Maddow says, it's O.K. if you're a Republican. E.g., Ensign didn't resign until he was on the verge of being expelled -- and his sexual peccadillo was direct penetration, not e-titillation. Plus the mucho-kilobuck payoff to the cuckolded husband from Ensign's parents -- just a "gift." And then there was Vitter, and the SC governor in Argentina hiking the Appalachian Trail, and the Minneapolis Airport "event." The stink the Republicans raise about Cantor will not mask the stinks they generate from their own stinkers.

While disappointed in Rep. Weiner's behavior, as far as I can tell, he did NOTHING illegal. People "talk dirty" to one another ALL the time, usually face to face! I can't see how ANYBODY "gets off" on talking dirty, either by texting or on the phone, but, Whatever floats your boat... Now that there's "Tweeting" and all the numerous other ways to engage in cyber-conversation I'm surprised that ANY work at all get's done ANYWHERE and the Thousands of ReTHUGs who engage in Cyber-Sex haven't gotten found out as well! I think it's more embarrassing, kind of like getting caught urinating in Public. GET over it. He didn't molest anybody, or talk to any unwilling participants. The ReTHUGlicans like to do it up close and personal, THEN deny it! If the President can receive a Blow Job in the Oval Office, I don't see why Rep. Weiner can't talk a little trash and send some embarrassing pictures to whomever he wants. Move on, News Media, the show is OVER.

One more thing, He lied because he was embarrassed. He didn't lie about State secrets or anything of any great import. He wanted to spare himself and his family from being Pilloried in the Press. Faint hope, there, I'd say. Sadly, the ReTHUGs are having a Field Day! They WOULD! Funny how they didn't call for Vitter's resignation or Ensign's isn't it?

Repiglicans are loving this Wieneresque news cycle, which shifts the focus from disasters like the Paul Ryan attack on Medicare, the Congressional defeat in Upstate New York, and Obama nailing Osama. Ironically, both right and left can't stop talking about Weiner's weiner. It'll be days or weeks before the media is weaned off it. Weiner waving is the American Way. Let's be frank: as soon as weiners hit the news, hot dog!, all other thoughts evaporate.

It always amazes me to see good people in public positions, do stupid things like this and expect it not to come back to them. It also amazes me to see them stand before a camera and try to lie or explain the issue to the public; The golden rule of politics is STONEWALL. An unanswered charge gives no fuel to the issue and frustrates the people bringing it to bear. Having said that, it appears to me that Breitbart has been engaged in a form of blackmail here and is probably criminally involved in this to some degree. As the author said; Public figures should not be judged by the public for their sexual activities. Stories like this destroy lives and do nothing for the public at all; except provide "entertainment" at the expense of others.

It would be a "story" if Weiner, like Republicans that came before him, pontificated about "family values" and used that as a platform to get elected. Don't think that's the case here.

And why should Weiner resign? He has broken no laws. Was he doing an investigation? I would have been. I would want to know if I was set up and how much blackmail information was in Breitbart's hands and WHERE DID HE GET IT from?

First of all, Brietbart is an oafish thug and not worthy of our attention. He is the CREEP, not Weiner. Second, where was Eric Cantor's righteous indignation when the John Ensign and the Mark Sanford and the David Vitter scandals were going down? No calls for resignation of these genuine CREEPS from Cantor. But boy oh boy, has he ever called for Weiner to step down. Rethuglican hypocrite!

The new American hero, Andrew Breitbart is real problem here. He commisioned or whatever some lackey to find the dirt on Weiner. Essentially Breitbart & Co, spied, possibly illegally, on Anthony Weiner's personal life. Why is this potential crime not under investigation.

This is the stuff done in divorce cases, the only ones wanting to "divorce" Weiner from Congress are Republicans. They have no part of this, it is betweeen Weiner and his wife, she is the ONLY person that can be harmed by his behaiviour. It has no bearing, none whatsoever, nada on Rep. Weiner's job performance.

The holier-than-though republican propaganda machine is in full tear-filled swing. How dare this man commit this sinful, lustful. lewd act..all the time thanking the God they trot out whenever it is convenient for them to play a a game of "Gotcha";all the time thanking the stars that it was one of "them" that got caught with his pants down so to speak. How dare these hypocrites chastise & ridicule another for a dumb school-boy prank while continuing to try to screw ordinary Americans to a permanent under-class? Anything to take the heat off off, right fella's?

Had Weiner lied us into a war, busted unions,stripped millions of their homes and savings, I would probably be incensed but considering that ReThugs Reagan (Ray-Gun) and the Bu**$Hits did all that-Savings & Loan scandal, breaking PATCO,Iraq,Enron,and more without all this moral indignation, I find it hard to even respond with a yawn to Weiner's wayward virtual weiner.

Representative Weiner is the biggest threat in the House (maybe in all of Congress) to the GOP/TP. The press' holier than thou about "honesty" == Weiner TOLD everything and they threw it back at him loaded with "pipe bombs" and maneuer (poop)

Vote 2012 -- register NOW bc some states will make it too difficult in 2012. Ask fora mail-in ballot (bc they might MOVE your voting place without telling you)

Look who is supporting the campaign of a GOP/TP candidate (Walker in bed with Koch as an example) -- this is my opinion.

I like Rep. Weiner, he was a fighter like Alan Grayson, his comments weren't always true but he wasn't any worse than FOX News. But Wiener's problem is his arrogance. He thought he could skate by this mess. He may survive this but in a highly weakened position-THAT IS A PROBLEM. We don't need more toothless lions 'fighting' for the working class, we need CHAMPIONS. The GOP jerks like Rep. John Ensign and Rep. Chris Lee had that same arrogance, that they could get away with this slimy behavior. Personally, Lee didn't do anything to anyone but his family. Ensign screwed his family and friendships. Wiener stepped in a steaming pile and then repeatedly LIED about it. All these behaviors are less than admirable but far more common than I care to know.

Capn Canard, To paraphrase: "I like Rep. Weiner, his comments weren't always true but he wasn't any worse than FOX News." That's one helluva sterling endorsement! Should look splendid on his resume. "I lie sometimes but I ain't no worse than Fox News." Who or what is worse than Fox News?Pretty dismal company for Congressman Weiner. Actually, I liked him too. If judgment is indicative of character this "incident" doesn't bode well for Weiner.

Many of the above comments seem to advocate giving a pass to undignified sexual behavior among those who hold public office. But think a moment about the following: what would the results of the 2000 election have been if Clinton had diciplined himself, and there had been no Monica scandal? Is it too heartbreaking to imagine that Bush II might never have been President?

Are you saying that Clinton caused the Supreme Court to stop counting votes in Florida?

Or are you saying that if Democrats were only absolutely perfect and pure in their words thoughts and deeds, they could enjoy a permanent political advantage over repuglicans even though repuglicans have closer ties to the sources of campaign money, and even though most of the media is run by conservative organizations?

Maybe if Democrats had shown a little political courage by actually standing up to repuglicans in 2008 and 2009, the repugs wouldn't have taken back the House in 2010. The Monica Lewinsky scandal virtually guaranteed Clinton's second term in office, because people could read through the hypocrisy. Do you remember what bush said when he was asked if he'd used cocaine while his daddy was president? He said, "none of your business". I'd hardly call that moral superiority.

Billy--Of course, I'm not saying anything about the Supreme Court. I'm implying that Gore may have been the solid winner of that election, with no intervention by the SC, but for his association with Clinton, who was still staggering under the Monica scandal. And Billy, the Monica scandal had nothing to do with Clinton winning a second term: the scandal didn't break until 1998.

Further, your argument is not enhanced by offering impossible scenarios such as: "if Democrats were only absolutely perfect ..."

Gore won the popular vote by 3,000,000 votes. If you think winning by 4,000,000 votes would have made a difference to Scalia I disagree.

President Clinton was under investigation for everything from raping the neighbor's cat to murder, BEFORE 1996. You're right about the "outing" of Lewinsky. It DID HOWEVER, help his approval ratings and lowered Congress'. The fact that he was so widely accused of everything under the sun and that Dole couldn't distance himself from the accusers CERTAINLY made it a lot easier for him to win in 1996.

You may remember that the "lie" Clinton spoke about Lewinsky was during hearings into Whitewater. Remember Whitewater? THAT was the scandal that was SUPPOSED to bring him down. That scandal was SUPPOSED to get him impeached. The only problem was that THAT scandal was a HOAX. They couldn't pin anything on him about it, but, in an unrelated event, he lied about some sex. SUDDENLY the "impeachment process" was about that.

He took no oath to tell the truth about oral sex. He took an oath to tell the truth about the accusations against him - WHITEWATER. If he'd lied about his pants size to pretend he was thinner, that lie wouldn't have been just as "illegal" as lying about the b.j.

Do you remember when the impeachment talk started? IMMEDIATELY. I remember dole discussing it on don imus' show the DAY AFTER THE ELECTION IN '92.

Make no mistake about it. HE WAS GOING TO BE IMPEACHED FOR SOMETHING AS SOON AS HE GOT ELECTED.

Democrats being absolutely perfect is the ONLY way to please the people who want them removed from office every time they commit the same sins that repugnicans get away with.

Here's a secret. Cheating on wives and husbands is going on ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, and it's being done by HUGE percentages of people. Congress isn't worse than the rest of us. It just isn't any better than the rest of us either. Democrats are just as likely to commit the sin of adultery as repugnicans.

Democrats only have ONE thing in their favor when it comes to moral issues. It's the fact that the Democratic Party is the one that still believes in the separation of church and state and that it doesn't posture itself as "God's Own Party". It, traditionally at least, was the ONLY home for politicians who didn't go around pretending to be perfect and a shining example of morality, worthy of preaching to the rest of us.

That's repuglican's job. And when repuglicans PROVE they're no more holy than the rest of us, they deserve to be called out for it. If you're looking for a moral example for your kids, use yourself and try to live up to it. That's hard enough. Don't expect Congress to provide an example of morality. Just expect them to stop being distracted and get back to work.

I expect public office holders to protect the dignity of the office and the oath. I don't vote for a sex scandal down the road.

More importantly--the behavior of Republicans, Conservatives, or Englishmen who go out in the noonday sun, are all irrelevant to Weiner's behavior. Whatever anyone else has done may be interesting and/or damaging, and their hypocrisy may be comical, but Weiner must succeed or fail on his own.

I think Dems have more than one issue that sets them morally apart from Repubilcans. The Bush administration highlighted many moral differences, and free choice is another among others.

I did not say that Clinton's Monica scandal and his impeachment had anything directly to do with Weiner, so I don't understand your focus on that event. I only clamined that bad behavior does impact the nation in all sorts of ways, a fact which hardly needs saying, and the 2000 election was an example. Gore took the ax partly because of his association with Clinton. A great pity for him and for the America.

Gore lost because he did not carry either his home state of Tennessee or the home state of the very popular President that he served under, Arkansas.Also, he allowed Bush to set the stage for debate, instead of running on eight years of prosperity.

Gore got "AXED" by the SCOTUS disallowing a recount, NOT because of Clinton's dalliance with Lewinsky. In this age of Cyber-Communication we are liable to be seeing many more people of stature getting their OWN "GOTCHA" moment. Time will tell.

Pickwicky, You are on the money! Any Progressive worth his weight in altruistic intent KNOWS that Gore was robbed of the election in 2000 by five black robed vigilantes posing as judges. But the "Monica scandal" DID take votes out of Gore's column. He didn't even win his home state of Tennessee. I also caught the time frame error regarding Clinton's indiscretions but said nothing. Billy bob is one of the best voices writing on RSN. I don't agree with him on this particular issue but NOBODY agrees 100% of the time. Let's all get back together and take down the baggers, birthers and bastards who are taking over the country. They're quite conspicuous. A mean streak a mile wide, a yellow streak running down their backs, a flag lapel pin strategically located and a blue dog on a leash. Oh yeah, they're also penurious leeches who never met a c-note they didn't immediately fall in love with. Always look for the "Conservative" label.

fredboy, You did NOT deserve the negative votes. Weiner played with fire and burned not only himself but his party. He most certainly understood the ramifications of his actions should they be detected. He went ahead and did it anyway.Conservatives trashing the country for monetary gain is not an excuse for bad judgment. My best friend, also named Fred, summed it up succinctly, albeit a bit crudely. Simply, he "f****d up!"

I don't think the Party has to be tainted with the same brush as Rep. Weiner, Dave. WHEN is a human being responsible for HIMSELF? His behavior is more a reflection of the times we live in than any Political affiliation, don't you think? I'm a child of the 60's and since then, morality has taken a nose dive. I believe Weiner is a good soul who got overwhelmed for whatever reason and lost his good judgment. He forgot that, as a Politician, he should be above the Sophomoric behaviors he engaged in. I take heart in the fact that he, unlike his ReTHUGlican counterparts, had the grace and humility to apologize for his behavior and is seeking help for his problem, which is a Hell of a lot better than any Thugs have ever done... Voluntarily, that is. They NEVER admit to "F***ing up", even when caught with their hands in the Proverbial Cookie Jar!

P.S. Dave, if the Party has been burned or is weak, it's NOT Weiner's fault. His voice has been one of the most ardent advocates for transparency and justice that the Thugs all abhor so much! I think that's why they've all attacked him so unmercifully. He, at least, CALLS them on their egregious behaviors! Instead of pointing fingers at him, the Leadership ought to take a long, hard look at itself and start to hold the THUGs responsible for all their betrayals of the American People! Weiner will survive, bloodied but, hopefully, unbowed, and return to Congress a stronger and wiser man.

This is all a tempest in a teapot as per usual. Why do Americans love hypocrisy so much! We are suddenly offended that this "honourable gentleman" has an overactive ego, among other things, and like all males a very fragile ego, and needs a little assurance that there is indeed fire in the belly of the stove! Give me a break. Every member of the Congress for crying out loud lives in major glass houses just like the rest of us and are in no position to being throwing even pebbles at anyone! Poor M C just like Clinton let his arrogance get the better of his judgement! Besides if this truly bothers you then you must be under sedation when you think of the flagrant violations of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights by the Republicans! I do not vote for a member of Congress to be my moral compass, God help me if I did, I do vote on the basis of whether or not he or she gives a continental damn about people rather than corporations!

Perfectly said. It seems that the moral compass is only measured when it has to do with sex and liberals. If it has to do with any other type of lies or corruption, especially the kind that affect us all, there's no "moral" outrage. It also seems that the magnifying glass is only focused on the left side of the picture.

It's getting to the point that political appointments aren't being made because nobody actually qualified for the job is willing to have their entire life dragged through the mud so the opposition can score points. I don't think there'd be so much "moral" outrage anyway if the same sins being committed by members of Congress weren't being committed by a huge portion of the regular population.

Isn't Weiner the Representative who took Glenn Beck to task for promoting that cheezy gold coin company last year - pointing out the Beck is paid by them and their customers are likely to lose their shirts? When I was visiting my father last year, Beck was mocking Weiner, mispronouncing his name (seemed anti-semitic to me), and encouraging his minions to harrass Weiner... Funny. A year later the guy is brought down.

Weiner's recklessness makes me very angry, because the progressives have now lost one of our champions. He had many examples of what the consequences could be of such behavior, and he took the risk anyway. He didn't hurt just himself, or just his wife, or just the Democratic Party -- he hurt us. He can no longer shout "Shame on you" on the floor of the Congress and be taken seriously.

BishopAndrew, As usual, you write with clarity and sanity. "I do not vote for a member of Congress to be my moral compass, God help me if I did." The ranks of Congress would be considerably "thinned" if voters were made aware of Congressional members "moral compass." This whole episode reminds of a scene in the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and the great line "rules in a knife fight!" Republicans clearly DON'T play by the rules. But they will be the FIRST to enforce them on others. Weiner, a smart and talented Progressive advocate was surely aware of the double standard. His "overactive ego", as you mention, got the better of him. We are engaged, however distasteful it might be or sound, in an ideological war of epic proportions. Weiner, more than most, understands this as he confronts blossoming Fascism on a regular basis. "Every member of the Congress for crying out loud lives in major glass houses just like the rest of us and are in no position to being throwing even pebbles at anyone." If this is true, and I agree with you it is, then it is time for a "complete overhaul" of the way our political system operates in this country. As George Orwell said "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." Perhaps its time for that revolution.

The good Bishop seems to think that people cast their vote for a candidate because he/she exhibits one attribute; however, the informed voter looks for many points of agreement--and good moral fiber is one of them.

Also, I do not have to deny the "flagrant violations of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights by the Republicans" if I condemn Weiner. The two actions are not mutually exclusive.

Nor do I accept the Bishop's contention that Weiner should be excused on the grounds that "like all males [he has] a very frail ego." How juvenile.

Looks like he came--your word choice, not mine--clean again today, admitting the sending of X-rated snapshots. Apparently, a photo of a weak, tiny erection through underpants. This guy is real national leadership material...

Of course there used to be something in this country called privacy or private communications and no matter how weak and pathetic such communications may be they were once thought to be private. Well. another outmoded concept done away with. Where do we go to get our red 'Anti-sex League sashes?

I know I joined this conversation late, but just let me ask a few things:

To the repugs: If "a weiner's" actions are so reprehensible, why don't we apply the same standard ACROSS THE BOARD? Are you demanding that a few repugs in office leave immediately as well?

To Democrats, (specifically Dave): People in office DO often take an oath. It's to uphold the Constitution. NOT the Ten Commandments.

BUT... Let's imagine they DID take that oath:

Why are we only focused on ONE of the Commandments here? It seems to me that there are NINE others being totally disregarded in the race to purify politics. Why aren't we concerned about, for instance:

-How many in office have "other God's" before God? What about the worship of money and holy profit?

-Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain: Isn't that what a hypocrite does every time he applies a moral standard to another he's unwilling to apply to himself? Isn't that what the right is doing when it preaches about religion, while ignoring its own sins?

-Thou shalt not murder: Isn't that what going to war under false pretenses IS.

-Thou shalt not bear false witness: Did anyone resign for making up lies about President Obama's past? Did anyone resign for accusing President Clinton of murder or "troopergate"?

-Thou shalt not STEAL. Do I need to even explain where I'm going with that one?

And, what about "the Greatest Commandment" of them all - the one that Jesus told his followers to apply? You know, the one about "loving your neighbor" and "doing unto others as you'd have them do unto you"? Would you like to see YOUR children slaughtered for oil? Would you like to see YOUR children TORTURED? Would you like to see YOUR children denied basic health care or a decent public education? Would you like to see YOUR children starving to death because we couldn't act about global climate change until most of the human food supply was threatened?

As soon as we can implement ALL of the Ten Commandments to ALL of our public officials I’ll be willing to join you in the stoning party. Until then, I’d rather see a good person who’s committed a sin stay in office, so he won’t be replaced by an evil person who doesn’t care about the OTHER NINE COMMANDMENTS.

billy bob, As I've said many times on these posts, I am not a religious man. I respect others beliefs as long as they respect mine. The "moral and ethical" commandments you mention I've wrote of a great many times and as YOU know I am as fierce an advocate for equality and justice as anybody that has ever written on these posts. I am NOT calling for Congressman Weiner to resign. I'm concerned that he LIED about it. Thou shall not bear false witness. Isn't that condemning lying? If our political apparatus is so debauched then why go the inconvenience of lying? "I tried it...but I didn't inhale." If you've nothing to be ashamed of you don't have to lie about it. Enough, this is doing what the Republicans enjoy most, (other than money) dividing the Progressive community. I'm sending a message to Mr.Weiner. Find the right woman and try the real thing. You'll be happier and the spin machine can find another victim. Hopefully not a Democrat.

"I am NOT calling for Congressman Weiner to resign. I'm concerned that he LIED about it."

PERHAPS WE AGREE MORE THAN WE THOUGHT.

I'm ONLY concerned with the calls for his resignation.

I'm all for telling him he's an idiot for doing this. I AGREE COMPLETELY. And, contrary to one of your other comments above, I'm NOT DEFENDING WHAT HE DID. In fact, he's not either. I'm just as angry with him as you are, as are probably all the other commenters on this thread who you think are defending him. There's no defense for what he did.

I AM HOWEVER, defending his right to stay in Congress even though he TALKED ABOUT committing adultery.

If he must resign for his perversion, then I think it's time for clarence "long-john silver" thomas to step down as well. Until that happens, I'll gladly condemn him and tell him he was a naughty boy, THEN expect him to get back to work.

billy bob, This IS becoming redundant. You advocate calling him an idiot. You say you're just as angry with him as I, and presumably all the other commenters, you state there's no defense for what he did and feel he should stay in Congress "even though he TALKED ABOUT committing adultery. O.K. I would have a preferred a higher standard. His image has been tarnished and his effectiveness has been reduced. I believe you've said EVERY politician should face the same litmus test. I agree. But guys of the Congressman's age sending naked pictures of their genitals don't inspire a helluva lot of confidence in me. Maybe I'm just too old school. I'd rather send pictures of my kids. I'm proud of them.

Stay Anthony -- And if you go - so should anyone in Congress who has lied or has had sex "outside of marriage" -- and if the Ethics committee wants to scope your PC, phone, etc. the committee must subject others in Congress to same scrutiny (Rachael Maddows 6/8/2011 named a few)Stay the course- Representative Weiner.

VOTE 2012 and get everyone registgered NOW (Post office, libraries, etc have forms) Vote early by mail. My opinion: Vote Dem bc the GOP/TP are still fighting the 150 yr old Civil War!

Here's a thought about "same" --- while I don't facebook or twitter with strnge people -- and I'm not gay. So if someone does twitter/facebook for sex with strangers - it does not hurt me. If a man wants to be with a man (woman/woman), it doesn't hurt me.

Second part of my thought: If I hire a lawyer (lawsuit) - I don't want him to be my shrink, my friend, my anything. I want him to fight for me with his every ounce of knowledge/energy/etc.

So . . . as long as Anthony Weiner fights for my rights (and he does) if he tweeks with strangers and lied about it -- he does his job.

My point is: My lawyer can have 6 fingers and buck teeth and have a bad bed-side manner -- but if he does his job, then that is all I care to look at.

So, some things are NOT the same. Weiner is "hard as nails" and so he does not have a lot of "friends" in Congress. But he's a straight shooter in the political arena so even the Dems (who are tainted) fear Weiner for he'd come down on them for crooking America (and has).

I refuse to judge Weiner on "lying" or Sexting bc he does the job for me.

giraffe2012, I was raised to believe respect, honor and integrity meant something. Those attributes would seem to be out of vogue. You could have saved yourself considerable typing. You're simply advocating "the ends justify the means." "I refuse to judge Weiner on lying" you state.A man, or a woman, has NOTHING, if their "word" cannot be trusted. The Conservatives and their uber-wealthy allies are similarly unconcerned about the moral and ethical failings of their "warriors," because it "does the job for them." Kind of puts us back at square one doesn't it? Some Catholic priests sodomize little boys but no doubt give great sermons. I wonder if their parishioners are forgiving of their sins because "he does the job for me." If America accepts your standards then it means one more immersion in the gutter. It will NEVER wash off at some point. Perhaps that day has already arrived. If so, then the preservation of a singularly debauched state is a waste of time, money and effort. My thoughts.

Giraffee--a fallacious analogy: "6 fingers and buck teeth and have a bad bed-side-manner." That is not analogous to what Weiner did. Weiner hurt his wife, dreadfully. His child, when old enough, may learn of this event--how sad. I'm sure there are others in Weiner's family that have been hurt. Your odd looking lawyer truly hurts no one with his 6 fingers and buck teeth.--not even with his bad bed-side manner. By the way, does your lawyer conference with you in bed? Everyone should have one of those!

"Comes clean" is an ironic choice of title! Yes, how consituents are willing to tolerate weirdos as their representatives, as long as they get *something* out of them. I think he should lose his career. Increasingly, those who represent us are guilty of acts that would automatically end our jobs and put us in jail.

But his case shows just how hypocritical both parties continue to be. Had this been a Republican, most of you would be calling for a lynching. And vice versa. Thus this proves what many of us have long recognized--there is little difference among those swimming at the very bottom of the political barrel.

Shame on Weiner--he has disgraced himself, his family, his state, and his office. And shame on all of you who automatically defend him because of his party preference.

fredboy, good reply Fred. "Blind Allegiance" is just that...Blind. You'd think thirty plus years of Conservatives mindlessly marching to the pounding of perfidious propaganda would have taught us something. As C,S,N and Y sang all those years ago, "mostly say hoo-ray for our side."

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